Count Your Blessings (revised version)
by Captain Awesomesauce
Summary: After being orphaned and spending half her life in a charitable institution, Lizzie's fortunes take a turn for the better after being adopted into the Darcy family. But after finding a home, can she find happiness, friends...and maybe even love? First P&P fic Liz/Darcy
1. Chapter 1- Adoption

**Hi everyone, this is my first Pride and Prejudice story. I've done research into life at the time, but if you spot an error, don't hesitate to tell me. **_Please review!_

**(Edit): This story has recently been revised.**

* * *

"If you'd like, I would gladly take the girl in." The gentleman said.

"Miss Elizabeth Bennet?" Said Mrs Sander.

"Certainly. She seems a sweet-tempered, pretty girl."

"I agree, sir, but if you don't mind me saying so, there does seem to be quite an age difference."

"Precisely. After my beloved Anne's passing, my daughter has become shy and withdrawing. Not only does she lack a friend, she lacks a motherly figure to support her."

"My condolences sir, I-"

"No need…"

At this point, I stopped listening. It was clear that I would be adopted, and into a privileged home! That was unimaginable.

I never had much money, even before my parents' demise, but to live in a grand estate? I would live among children from an ancient, respectable family, and more likely than not, they'd tease me and shove me as the orphans did here, but without us being on equal footing. Not that I was sad to be adopted, just that I was worried about my position in my new home. Yes, they'd be horrible, ugly, fat children dressed in flouncy clothing and constantly whining. They'd be stupid and tyrannical and-

"Get your things, Miss Elizabeth, you're adopted!" Mrs Sander cried, and as soon as I recovered from shock, I ran upstairs and packed my belongings. I didn't have much to pack, so after bidding adieu to the friendlier servants, I put on my bonnet and coat and stepped into the waiting coach.

The gentleman, who introduced himself as Mr George Darcy, lived all the way up by Lambton, but had stopped by on his journey home. He seemed a very charitable man, and had taken the son of his steward under his wing. It was clarified that there were three such 'children' already in the house, George Wickham, son of said steward, and his own two Georgiana and Fitzwilliam, though they were hardly the whining infants I pictured them to be.

Georgiana was nearly twelve years old, Fitzwilliam was four-and-twenty and George was one-and-twenty, the former living at home and the latter two travelling and at school respectively.

I listened as attentively as I could, but sleep won out eventually, and I let the bumpy road rock me to sleep. The journey was expected to take several more hours, and I needed my rest. After all, I had to look refreshed to greet my new family.

* * *

**Remember that little box called Review? If you want it to be less lonely, pop it a letter about this story, I (it, I mean) will be eternally grateful.**


	2. Chapter 2- Georgiana

**Hi guys, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, followed or favourited this story! *Offers virtual cookies* **_Again, please review!_

* * *

Eventually I woke up, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw. There in front of me was a large stone building, surrounded by lush woods and hills. It was truly a sight for sore eyes.

"Is this really my new home, sir?" I asked.

"It certainly is, and please don't call me sir. I hope you will learn to call me father."

I nodded. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Who is at the house presently?"

"Georgiana is, but the other two will be returning in time for Christmas. Are you scared to meet them?"

"I am a_ little_ nervous, to be honest, but no, not at all scared."

"If you are merely nervous, then you'd do best not to worry." He said.

"After you arrive," He continued. "You will refresh yourself, and then be introduced to Georgiana. She is a sweet girl, and probably more scared of you than you her. Don't mention her mother, though; she'll go hysterical if you do. She passed on several years back, and the sensitive little thing has taken it worst. We've all been affected."

Soon after the short conversation relapsed into silence, the coach arrived at Pemberley. Mrs Reynolds, a kindly old housekeeper with a long history of serving the Darcy's, greeted me at the door and showed me to my room. "If you have any trouble, please let me know." She said. I smiled and said I would. I didn't end up having any trouble, but after the journey, a bath seemed in order. So I took a bath, was dressed and went downstairs to the parlour.

It was a fine room, well and tastefully decorated but not extravagantly so. Suffice to say, it was charming, just like the rest of the house. There was a semi-circle of large, plush chairs, and on the largest, plushest chair in the corner of the room sat a little girl, knitting. Beside her were her father and a woman of about twenty that I guessed to be her governess. The girl's delicate features and cherubic face made her look to be about nine or so, but her height betrayed her.

She was so concentrated on her work that when her father nudged her to greet me, she gave a small yelp. In surprise, she raised her eyes to look, blushed, and turned her head to the suddenly-interesting window. "Aren't you going to greet Miss Elizabeth?" He asked softly. In response, she turned her head in my general direction and almost whispered, "How do you do, Miss Elizabeth?"

"How do you do, Miss Georgiana?"

"Are you my new sister?"

"I am."

"Are you nice?"

I laughed at her frankness. "I hope so."

"Good." With this, she returned to her silent knitting.

Mr Darcy drew my attention to the woman sitting beside her. "This is Miss Younge, Georgiana's governess and now yours." Smiling, the woman asked me how I was, and I replied I was well. "Forgive me," Mr Darcy said. "but I must ask how well you have been educated."

"Quite well, I believe. I was taught English, Mathematics, History, Needlework, Drawing, Music and Scripture."

"Were the lessons taught well?"

"I think so, though I did go to a charitable institution."

"Will you be happy taking on another pupil?" He said to Miss Younge.

"Certainly." She said.

This now straightened out, I took a novel from the shelf and read. It was a romance novel, the beginning of which sounded slightly familiar to me. The heroine, Susanna, was a parentless, penniless young woman raised in an orphanage. After she is too old to stay, she goes to the city.

By this point, I had stopped reading, since Susanna was everything I feared she would be. She was a very beautiful, very clever and very moral young woman. She cried and fainted a good deal and would doubtlessly be tempted by the devil. 'Even more doubtless' I thought, 'is that she shall reject temptation and marry a rich, handsome man'. So what possessed me to take it when I was sent to bed, I never knew.

* * *

**Review says hi again, he wants you to say hi again as well. Go on...**


	3. Chapter 3- Quelle Surprise!

**Hi again guys! Thanks for the being awesome, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Now I'm not hinting anything, but the story definitely gets more interesting from here.**

* * *

The next morning, I rose with the sun. My night had been restless, and what I needed now was a walk. The weather begged to differ- the air hung thick with frost, and what little sunlight there was reflected off the frosty lawn. I ignored this, dressed myself speedily, and ran out the front door. The servants were already up, but barely glanced at me. They had more important things to do.

As a matter of fact, I also had more important things to do. Running round the back of the house, I came to the gardens. When I stopped, I looked at the view. In front of me was a lush garden done in the informal style that was all the rage among the rich, but it didn't look faddish, it looked beautiful, actually. Ghosts of well-trimmed hedges and potted trees stood as reminders of spring glories, and the neat path just _begged_ to be paraded down by fashionable ladies wielding such formidable weapons as fans and parasols.

Yes, it was a lovely place, but one thing stood out in particular. A little distance away, I spied a long, narrow pond with a large fountain. It looked frozen over, but I wasn't quite sure, so I ran to get a closer look. After tapping the surface with my finger, it seemed solid enough, so I grabbed a stone from the ground and-

"Lovely pond, don't you agree?" The shock caused me to drop it.

I spun around to come face to face with a young man, laughing very loudly. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"Nothing. It's just that you looked so shocked!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I wouldn't have been so amusing if you didn't frighten me!"

"No, that's my fault. I had just returned from taking that path," he paused, motioning to a path coming out of the woods. "when I saw a very threatening looking intruder-"

"Threatening?"

"Oh yes, very threatening indeed. In fact-"

I interjected. "I'm hardly a threat, sir, and I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot. My name is Elizabeth, Mr Darcy's ward, and I presume you are George Wickham."

"You presumed correctly, Miss Bennet. How did you arrive at that answer?"

"Well, I was told we were expecting both you and Fitzwilliam Darcy home, and since you look both familiar with this place and nothing like Georgiana, I guessed as much."

"Well guessed."

"Thank you, though I have another question, if you don't mind."  
"Indeed I don't. What do you ask?"

"I'd like to know why you arrived so early."

"Fitz and I planned to arrive early to surprise his father, but the condition of the roads meant that we were almost a day delayed. We only arrived about thirty minutes ago and felt a bit homesick, so we went for a walk. In fact… in fact, I daresay Fitzwilliam is walking right now. Fitz! Fitzwillers! Fitzwilliam Darcy…"

The shouts went on until the figure of a young man appeared from the forest, looking quite vexed. Up until that moment, I had thought George, with his boyish smile and flushed cheeks to be the most handsome young man I had ever seen (one doesn't see many handsome youths in a ladies' establishment). Now, I thought otherwise. Though he was far away, I could tell this man was made of the same stuff as Michelangelo's David: Marble. Cold, hard stone, yes, but expertly sculpted. I wanted to touch the semi-distant figure; I wanted to make sure it was no automaton, but flesh and blood.

"Yes George?"

"I'd like you to meet someone."

"This _someone_ being?"

"The girl father mentioned in his letter."

Mr F. Darcy froze in place, a look of distaste in his eye, but he shook his head and continued nonchalantly (rather, as nonchalant as his nature allowed him to look) down the path.

"Good morning Miss Bennet." He said as soon as he arrived, bowing stiffly and eyes firmly on the floor, furthering his resemblance to the statue. "Please call me Elizabeth, " I said, hastily adding "_both of you_,as we will be living in the same house." George announced he would gladly do so, Fitzwilliam simply nodded. I tried my hardest to hide my disgust at his rudeness, though obviously not well enough, as George gave me a knowing look. "Come, we should all go inside before we catch cold."

* * *

**Well, that was it! Did you like it? Please tell Review why or why not, he's feeling awfully lonely.**


	4. Chapter 4- School Days

**This is going to be a bit of a filler chapter, but I've been quite busy at the moment, sorry! Again, thanks for the good reviews and keep up the awesomes. ****Suggestions for the next chapter are VERY APPRECIATED****, so... enjoy!**

* * *

After I went back inside, I read awhile, was dressed _again_ by the maid (something about dirty petticoats, I imagine) and at last went downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was a rather awkward affair, and aside from Mr Darcy trying to introduce me to George and Fitzwilliam (and being at last set aright by George), nothing of any consequence happened.

So when the repast was at last finished, I was to go to lessons. "Come in, Miss Elizabeth." Miss Younge said, handing me a sheet. "Recite this poem, please." I was slightly familiar with the title, but I'd never read it before, so clearing my throat, I began.

"The sun descending in the west,

The evening star does shine;

The birds are silent in their nest,

And I must seek for mine.

The moon, like a flower,

In heaven's high bower,

With silent delight

Sits and smiles on the night.

Farewell, green fields and happy groves,

Where flocks have –"

"That is enough, Miss Elizabeth. You have good rhythm, but _must_ learn to enunciate more. Practice for half an hour, in which I expect you to have the entire poem by rote, and then recite it to me again." She then went off to teach Georgiana. In that half hour, I worked diligently, first on memorising it, then on saying it well.

Once my half-hour was up, she made me come up and recite it to her. Scared as I was, I forced a smile and cleared my throat as I did once before, reciting the poem with as much clarity and expression as I could muster. Unfortunately, all I got was a cuff upside the head. "And there the lion's **ruddy** eyes!" She cried, before assigning me a History lesson and some math problems.

The rest of the school day was equally miserable, and I was absolutely ecstatic when Georgiana and I were at last dismissed. Georgiana, however, appeared quite concerned. "Miss Younge has never treated me that way! It is unfair that she treats you so ill, and you must speak to father about it." I declined, since I knew from experience that it would only cause trouble. Besides, it would be dinner soon and I was looking forward to speaking with George and avoiding displeasing Fitzwilliam. Though, that seemed a Herculean task, for my mere presence seemed to displease him.


	5. Chapter 5- Tidings of What now?

**Hello again readers, 'tis I! It's Christmas Eve, and though this is a horrible Christmas present, it's better than none, amirite? Besides, you'll get your real Christmas treat on 12th Night (well, hopefully.) Please read and review- especially questions and suggestions, I love those!**

* * *

Dinner that night was quite a spectacle. To my schoolgirl's palate accustomed to beef and vegetables, the rich food served as a shock. Everyone else there ate as if it was a school dinner, which shocked me further. "Do you eat this on a daily basis?" I asked Georgiana.

"This? Actually, we try to vary the menu so that-"

"No." I interrupted. "What I meant to ask was if you ate food of this calibre daily."

"We do." She responded, not quite understanding why I would ask.

As the meal went on, though, I devised a scheme. I didn't know my new family very well and I wanted to change that, so I'd start small; and it was certain the smallest member of the household was little Georgiana. So as I got up to leave from the table, I smiled at her and asked if she would like to go outside for a while. After asking her father, she replied that she would.

At first, all was silent, as neither of us could think of anything to say, and I was getting more uncomfortable by the moment. On a whim, I finally spoke. "So, what do you do for enjoyment?"

"I read, I play the pianoforte, I knit, I-"

"But do you ever go out?"

"Well, Miss Younge and I identify and press flowers in the spring."

"But you never go outside for your own enjoyment?"

"When I was quite small, yes, but not now."

"Why?"

"Because grown-ups don't play outside."

"Georgiana, you are eleven-"

"Nearly twelve, to be exact."

I suppressed a sigh. "You are nearly twelve years old and you don't run about? When I was small, the teachers could hardly get me back indoors, so fond I was of playing! Come, I'll race you."

Eventually, she agreed, and race we did; I won, of course (by no small amount, I might add); and Georgiana was slightly disappointed (and very out of breath) but running eased the tension between us, and by the end of the night, we were very good friends. "Georgiana?" I asked.

"Yes Miss Elizabeth?"

"Would you call me Lizzie?"

"Gladly. You can call me Georgie."

"Thank you, Georgie. Shall we run again?"

And we did, but this time, I purposely slowed myself down. "I beat you, Lizzie! " She cried triumphantly.

"So you did."

"Are you not upset?"

"Oh yes, _terribly_ upset. I wonder that you don't see the tears!" I laughed, pointing to my perfectly dry eyes. She pouted. "Such a shame!"

"I do have that effect on people- disappointment, I mean."

"I wouldn't say that_, _Lizzie, you certainly don't disappoint me or my brother."

I laughed. "You mean to say that I fail to disappoint the living statue?"

"Yes." With that, she ran inside, motioning for me to join her. Muttering, "I'll beat you this time, Georgie Darcy.", I did.

* * *

**'Baby, all I want for Christmas...' are reviews (& favs & follows), so join in the Christmas spirit!**


	6. Chapter 6- Opinions and Silk Dresses

**Hello again everybody! Today's update will be narrated by one ****Georgiana Darcy**** and inspired by clarinetto14's suggestion. You go clarinetto14! As always, please r&r.**

* * *

_That very morning (see Chapter 4- School Days)_

My hair was brushed, my dress was straight and there was still a good hour before breakfast. 'What am I to do?' I wondered. And I kept wondering, until I realised I'd forgotten to wake Helen. So I ran to her bed and pulled her out of it, smoothing the blanket and kissing the top of her little head.

"Did you sleep well, Helen?" She didn't respond, but I assumed the answer was yes. "Now, don't trouble yourself." I said sternly. "I'm just getting your clothes." Satisfied that she wouldn't be going anywhere, I grabbed a gown of crisp pink silk and matching slippers.

I returned to find Helen lying exactly where I had left her, and after telling her what a good little girl she was, I set to work dressing her. No sooner had I finished than I heard a knocking on the door. "Come in."

The door was violently wrenched open to reveal my brother looking distressed. "I find you busy with your doll." He said, attempting to smile.

"I finished dressing her before you came, and Helen can wait for you to finish, brother."

"I'm glad to hear that both you and Helen have such excellent manners."

"Don't praise us so! I don't want Helen to become conceited."

"Rubbish, Georgiana! Neither you nor Helen have a proud bone in your body. Though, come to think of it, I'm fairly certain Helen has no bones."

We both laughed at this until Fitzwilliam cleared his throat and said he had a serious matter to discuss. "I'd like to ask your opinion of Miss Elizabeth." He said. My reply spewed out my lips before I could even think. "I like her. I'm quite scared by her boldness, but she's sweet and smart and I hope we can become friends."

He sighed at this and ran his hands through his already unruly hair. "I agree. She is sweet and seems very smart and I hope to know her better. Tell me, Georgie, how was she introduced to you?"

"Well, I was sitting in the parlour and father told her to come in and meet me. I was too scared to say much. But I did try, though. And you'll never guess what happened afterwards!"

"What?"

"She searched the bookshelf and found mother's favourite book! It's in her room now, I believe."

He muttered something before inching back towards the doorway. "Thank you for talking to me, Georgie."

"And?"

"What else am I to say?"

"Well, you can at least thank Helen and apologise for forgetting to originally thank her."

"Well, then, I thank you, Helen, from the bottom of my heart for being a listener sans pareil and humbly apologise for forgetting to thank you earlier. Do you accept my apology?"

I put my ear to Helen's head and nodded. "She says yes."

Satisfied with Helen's answer, he walked out the door and closed it behind him, leaving me wondering something else. 'It is obvious he approves of Elizabeth, yet then how can he ignore her so?'

* * *

**I know Christmas is over and all, but it's nearly my birthday. So instead of presents, can I have some reviews? Please?**


	7. Chapter 7- and Carry a Big Stick

**At the suggestion of several people, I have made this chapter longer than the usual!**

**_Carol: Thank you:) Georgie is nearly twelve years old and Elizabeth is 17 or so and I'm still debating whether or not to write in Lizzie's family._**

**_gally 619: I love writing Georgiana's character and I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter. I'm not quite sure what happened to Elizabeth's sisters and extended family, but her parents are definitely dead._**

**R&R!**

* * *

It's funny how one little sentence can have a very profound effect on someone. For example, due to Georgie's little hint, I had been lying awake for the past three hours, her voice endlessly repeating it like a sort of German cuckoo clock.

_"I wouldn't say that, Lizzie, you certainly don't disappoint me or my brother."_

I pondered the exact meaning of the phrase, arguing with myself over it. Did it mean he liked me, or worse, did it mean he was so indifferent to me that I couldn't disappoint?

Then again, if those cold stares were anything to go by, there was no affection behind those eyes. Yet, the fact he stared meant I was not ignored. Perhaps he hated me; perhaps the occasional spark in his dark eyes was simply the spark of animosity. Perhaps his silences weren't caused by shyness, as I knew Georgiana's were. Perhaps he was silent out of pride.

_'Or maybe,'_ said a voice. _'he is simply shy. Maybe he likes you. Maybe if you treated him as you did Georgiana, he would not seem so indifferent.'_

'Enough!' I cried. 'I have no affection towards him; in fact, I barely know the man. If I were asked, I should say I hated him!'

_'You know that's not true.'_ It responded. _'You know you quite like him; and you know you were more than curious at your first introduction. What has he done wrong?'_

'He has committed no crime against me,' I stated. 'but coldness and blatant ignorance of my existence in a time where I most need kindness. All I ask from him is a little kindness!'

_'Kindness? Then if you ignore him as he does you, it is not kindness you shall get in return. He hurt your cherished pride, and now you are resolved to hate him. Is that not true?'_

'Very well! It is true, but I cannot help it if he is so arrogant and insufferable.'

_'Then I suppose I cannot help you. You met the man once and left no room for proof in your mind that he is no villain, and then call him insufferable! Are patience and perseverance not virtues well-respected and much wished for? Perhaps attempt them, and see the result.'_

Having lectured me enough, the voice left me in peace, but I could not rest in peace. I was tormented by my selfishness, and eventually felt a pushing pain behind my eyes, as tear after hot tear trickled down my face. I seemed a despicable person to think so well of myself and judge so much others, and decided I would give the young master a chance to prove himself. After all, unless this was the devil, who ever heard of voices in the head leading one astray? Actually-

So I stopped thinking about it all and decided to go to sleep, which was easier said than done, but certainly managed in the end.

* * *

I awoke rested and well the next morning, resolved to ask Georgiana after breakfast what she meant. Her words probably meant next to nothing, but having them explained would avoid me lying awake another night. So happy was I with this prospect that I decided not to wait until after breakfast. The gap between being woken up and breakfast was several hours, and Georgiana didn't seem the vain sort.

As soon as I was dressed, I asked the maid to pop over to Georgiana's room and ask if she was ready. The maid replied that she was ready, so I went over myself and knocked on the door. "Come in, br-" She looked quite shocked. "Oh, I thought you were my brother, Lizzie!

I laughed. "Now, Georgie, that's hardly a compliment."

"I can ex-"

"Don't worry, I understand. I would just like to ask you a few questions."

"Well, now you _do _sound like my brother. He came on a similar errand yesterday."

"And I can't ask what he said to you?"

"Of course you can't ask, but what have _you_ come to ask?"

"Well, this may sound strange, but I'd like to ask what you meant by saying he wasn't disappointed by me."

Georgiana's face was unreadable, and after a pause, she cleared her throat.

"Yesterday, he came to me to ask my opinion of you. I replied that I thought you were clever and pretty and that I hoped to be good friends with you." I blushed at this last sentence. "He then said," She continued. "that he agreed with me and hoped to get to know you better."

"You do realise" I said to Georgiana. "That you just told me what you said you wouldn't tell."

"Ah, but I only told you what he said."

Assuming it to be the end of our conversation, I made to leave, only being told to stay. "Don't you want to play with me and Helen? Helen would like it very much to be introduced to you."

"I'd be delighted to." I replied, even though I didn't have the faintest clue who Helen was.

As it turned out, Helen was Georgie's doll. She was about twelve inches tall and wooden with a bisque head and hands. "Helen," she said, addressing the doll. "this is my new friend Elizabeth and you will be nothing but kind to her, is that clear?" The doll did not show any signs of agreeing, but Georgiana told me she did, so I played along. If it made my 'new friend' happy, then I would be more than happy to oblige.

Eventually, to Georgiana's dismay and to my slight relief, breakfast was announced and we left her room. "After breakfast," Georgiana said. "you must come back up to my room so we can play some more."

"Can we not take Helen outside?"

"We can, I suppose. Would you like it better if we did?"

"I'd like it very much, that is, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Excellent! But we ought to get to breakfast- race you there!"

* * *

Due to our silly antics, we were the last at the table, which didn't matter because the food was still hot. George asked how I was, and I replied I was well, though pausing beforehand to phrase my answer. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"I've never been better than I have been at Pemberley."

He seemed unconvinced, but still politely nodded. "Would you like to take a walk after breakfast? I don't think you have seen the paths."

"That's kind of you, but Georgiana has already _entrapped_ me." I said, giving her a joking look. "But I am free at midday if you wouldn't mind."

"That's excellent. Though I do suggest you take a large stick with you."

"Why?"

"To hit intruders with, of course."

* * *

**As I said last time, my birthday's coming up, so... reviews?**


	8. Chapter 8- EDITING FINISHED

This story is done being revised, and will now resume updating once more!

Expect another this weekend, thank you:)


End file.
